Moisture-radiator for incubators.



R. c. LEWIS.

MOISTURE RADIATOR FOR INCUBATORS.

APPLlcATloN ELLED Nov, 20, i918.

l ,295, l 97. Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

@Mam/hoz UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

ROBERT G. LEWIS, 0F LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I,-RoBnR'r C. Lnwis, ay

Vcitizen of the United States, residing atk Little Rock, in the countyof Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented vcertain new and usefulImprovements in Moisture- Radiators for Incubators, of which thefollowing is a specitication.

This invention relates-to ventilation, and more especially to airmoistening by means of an absorbent surface; and the object ofv the sameis to produce a device for radiating moisture within an incubatorcontiguous to its egg tray. It is well known that eggs in the act ofincubating need a little moisture to simulate that exuding from themother hen, and especially is this need felt in high altitudes where theair is extremely dry. Hitherto it has been common to place a moisturecup or the like within the incue bator so that the heat therein wouldvaporize the liquid to an extent and cause-it to'fspread over theinterior of the entire incubator. My present invention consists in theprovision of a sheet of absorbent vmaterial mounted directly beneath theegg tray, onto which is poured water, which water evaporates under theinliuence of the heat within the incubator body. Details are set forthbelow, and attention is drawn to the drawings, wherein- Y Figure 1 is abottom plan view of an egg tray with this moisture radiator applied.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough. Y i

Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective detail of one corner on an enlargedscale.

I have found it necessary to show only one egg tray, omitting even thecasing'of the incubator which of course surrounds and supports the trayin the usual manner, and omittingV also the source of heat which must beand always is Vpresent but forms no part of the present invention.v Y vAs illustrated herewith, the tray is composed of a rectangularA frame 1having strips Y v i2 across the interior of its ends and along` itssides, preferably descending slightly onV the sides as shownV andoverlaidby acentral transversestrip 3; Y and the numeral 4 desig nateswire fabric mounted within the'frame andv supported by the Strips Vandon which Y. the eggs are laid. Near one r.end is a cross VYthe nearestend strip 2, therebyV forming a striplr5, and a smallsectione ofthefabricV ishinged upon this cross strip and lies on Specication ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4., 1919.

Application inea November 2o, 191s. serial Np. 263,411..

may descend as usual. However, thedetails .of construction of the eggtray itself are not important, excepting thatwits bottom' l small doorthroughwhich the hatched chicks i occupied by the section erdoor y6, thesheet `being of a width corresponding with the interior of the frame andof a length corresponding with the internal length thereof with theexception of said door. This sheet is preferably of fabric, and I findthat rather coarse toweling will answer. It may be hemmed around itsedge as indicated at 11 in Fig. 3. Through said edge screw eyes 12 arepassed upward into the strip 2 for holdingthe absorbent sheet inposition. As best seen in Fig. 2, the sheet is lspaced from the wirefabricl a distance equal to the thickness of the strips 2, and whensupportedby the screw eyes or equivalent fastening devices 12, it willmaintain its distance if both are stretched rather taut.

In use, water is poured onto the tray and passes through the wire ontothe fabric sheet 10 which by reason of its porous nature will absorbconsiderable. poured in before the eggs are in place, it may be coldwater; if after the eggs are on the tray, the water is preferably warmeda trifle so vas'not to chill the eggs. In any event,v however, the vheatwithin the incubator body sufficiently warms the water to rises throughthe wire fabric 4 and between If the water is the eggs on the tray, andpermeates all parts ofthe incubator body. If the fabric is suflicientlyheavy, the air will thus be moistened pouringin more water. Means may beprovided for sprlnklmg the water cntotheegg tray, either when the coverof the incubator vfor a long time without the necessity of is open Yorwhile itis closed, but as ,such Y means formino part of the invention'they are not illustrated. Y

The foregoing description andthe drawings have referenc'e to Vwhatnnaybe con- Y' sidered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. VIt'is to be understood Ythat I may make such changes in construction fandarrangement and combination of parts, j

materials, dimensionsget cetera, as may prove expedient and fall Withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully describedmy invention,

what I clailn as newT and desireto--seeurehyi Letters Patent is 1l In'fan'inculoator,they combination With" an egg tray comprising aframeorectanguiar contour, strips securedaroundthe V1nterioriof theframei iand .a cross strip- Within.

said-Vframenear one end; 1, of a sheet of Ewire screening ,secured uponsaid cross lstrip land gtheother.- strips, `ado'or hinged to said crossstrip -and resti-ng lat its outer edge-Vuponythe adjacentendfstrip,V1and a sheet of"fabre secured tothe lower edgesof yallstrips excepting`the". last-named strip.

2. In an.incubator? the'scolnbination with i an egg-tray. comprising 4Va.frame of rectan gular contour, strips secured around theinterlor'rotlifesframef;aaficentral strip across its center, and a crossstrip Within said frame near: one'fendi;l cita-sheet of Wire screeningsecured upon said cross strip and the other strips. andfpassing beneaththe centrallstril),

a door hinged upon said cross strip and resting at its outerV edge'upmithe adjacent end stripl and a sheet of openWork fabric secured A to the,lower-edges of all strips `exceptingf With said Wire screening.I

in presence-oftwo Witnesses;v

ROBERT LEWIS.

Witnesses:

M. I. SHUSTER, v W; WOMAGK."

